The threat of compulsory redundancies at the Independent has been averted following successful negotiations between management and the National Union of Journalists.

Evgeny Lebedev's plan to move the Independent to a seven-day operation put as many as 25 jobs at risk, and resulted in the departure of John Mullin, editor of the Independent on Sunday.

The NUJ has reached an agreement that will avoid compulsory redundancies and reduce the number of posts lost as part of the integration.

The figure of 25 job losses was calculated on the basis of the amount of money management is aiming to cut from the newspapers' cost base.

"I am happy to confirm that we are now confident that if those taking voluntary redundancies complete documentation drawn up on the basis of agreements already reached with them, compulsory redundancies will not be necessary to achieve the savings required by the company in the changes to a seven-day operation," said Doug Wills, group managing editor of the Independent, Independent on Sunday and Evening Standard.

Wills said that the restructure, which comes as the Evening Standard gears up to launch a local TV channel in London early next year, said the changes are "necessary to allow the continued publication of the Independent titles in a harmonious and professional way".

The NUJ said that the cuts will make the Independent "the slimmest editorial headcount of any national newspaper".

"We still have serious concerns about the editorial quality and individual identity of the newspaper titles once the seven-day integration takes place," said Barry Fitzpatrick, deputy general secretary of the NUJ. "But importantly we have stopped people being forcibly pushed out the door."

A second phase of the restructuring is expected to involve further integration of the Independent with the Evening Standard.

Cut-price 20p national title the i, which has enjoyed significant sales growth since launching in October 2010, reported total circulation of 298,206, of which 233,639 is paid-for sales.

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